How to Improve Your PJO Fic
by XXChRiSsYxx
Summary: Need to improve your PJO fanfic, because it keeps getting mean reviews? Here's a solution! Rated T because I enjoy swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**To clear things up: sorry if I targeted you in the last guide. I won't do that again. For the whole "I'm Canadian" thing, I wasn't trying to make excuses. What I meant is that with certain words, we add a letter or two. For example, we add u's to the following words: color, labor, and honor. This guide is basically how to try and reduce the flames that you get. I hope this helps. **

**Last but not least, if you want me to give my opinion on your story, just pm me, I don't bite. It WILL take a long time though, because today is *cry* the last day of March Break. I promise I won't be rude too. Rather than doing this as a one-shot kind of thing, I'm going to be doing short chapters, unless there isn't all that much to say on the subject.**

How to Improve Your PJO Fic

**The Bait (Summary)**

Your summary is like bait: it attracts the readers. Sometimes, however, that isn't a good thing. One thing that I see a lot in summaries is "Plz don't flame". Contrary to popular belief, this isn't going to help you at all. When a flamer comes across that common little phrase, it translates into "OMGOMGOMG I LUV FLAMURZ PLZ PLZ PLZ FLAME MY FIC, ILL LUV U 4EVUR". They don't care if you ask this politely, they _will _flame your story. Something else that is totally useless to add into your summary is that it's your first fic. People won't care if it's your first fic, they will treat you as if it is your 10th fic. Yet another big no: do not say that you suck at summaries. It's wasting 5 seconds of our lives, reading about how much you suck at summaries.

Now that I have introduced you to the many problems in summaries, here's how to fix them. Instead of telling the readers not to flame, _welcome _constructive criticism and don't freak out at the flamers. You'll find that they have very useful advice to give you on how you can improve your story. In your summary, write "CC is welcome". There's a good chance that flamers won't be _as _attracted to your story, because they enjoy making you cry in corners. If they know that you welcome CC, it won't be as fun. They like it when you PM them, and freak out.

Next, there's the classic "it's my first fic". A lot of people will do this when they are unsure about their story and can't take harsh words. If there is one thing you should know, it's that flamers, and other readers for that matter, won't pay attention to that. Did J.K Rowling say "Oh, by the way, this is my first book, so please don't criticise me"? I think not. Readers are going to review your story honestly, whether it's your 1st, 5th, or 100th story. If we go soft on you when it's your 1st fic, you will _never _learn how to make a good story. You just have to suck it up, and keep improving at your own pace.

A pet peeve of mine is when I read a whole summary on how a writer sucks at writing summaries. It's a total turn-off for the reader! If you suck at writing summaries, the best thing that I can suggest is to keep _practicing. _Practice doesn't make perfect, but it makes you better. Tony Hawk didn't give up on skateboarding because he started off sucking at it, he kept practicing! If you practice, but you still are not satisfied, ask for help. I'm sure that one of your friends will love to help you! If nobody wants to help you, it doesn't hurt to try PMing somebody on fanfiction.

Remember this: your summary is _very _important. It lures your reader, so you want to make it interesting. If you don't have a good summary, readers aren't going to be interested.

**That's the first chapter for you. If there's anything you think that **_**I **_**ought to improve on, just review and tell me. I'm already starting to think that I'm getting a bit too comfortable with italics. I have no clue what chapter 2 will be about. I'm thinking it will be something along the title of your fic, and the introduction. Tell me your thoughts, and for later chapters, give me some ideas. **

**I appreciate CC ;).**

**-Chrissy**


	2. Sneak Peek Judgement Day

**This is a little bit of the first chapter of my fic that I will be posting sometime this week. We haven't been doing all that much during classes, so I got to write a lot down on a piece of paper. Sorry if you thought that this was a new chapter for the guide, but I will be posting at least 3 of these chapters before moving along with the guide. Thanks ****!**

**Judgement day**

Where I got grown, streets we would roam  
But out of the darkness, I came the farthest  
Among the hardest survival  
Learn from these streets, it can be bleak  
Except no defeat, surrender retreat

"ERIN!"

Startled, I fell out of bed, and onto the hard floor of cabin 7. I groaned, lifting my head up, and rubbing my temples.

"Really, Doug? Must you always do that?" I moaned, "What time is it anyways?"

"Err... 7:30 am" Doug replied, cheerfully. Too cheerfully for my liking.

I hoisted myself up onto one elbow, glaring at him. I picked up my pillow, and threw it at his large head. Like always, it missed, and fell to the floor with a dull thump.

"Wow, Erin... For someone who's good at archery, you have terrible aim," he snickered.

Yet again, I glared at him.

"Shuddup, I just want to go to sleep," I snapped.

"NO! If you go back to sleep, you'll be complaining all day that you missed breakfast, and that it was my entire fault! If you close one eye... You'll regret it!"

I glanced at him. "That's an empty threat. You're too much of a softy."

"Suit yourself, just don't come crying to me," he said bluntly, walking out the door.

I sighed, deciding that if I went to sleep, I'd miss breakfast and lunch. Reluctantly, I got up, and trudged my way over to a mirror, bracing myself. My hair wasn't as messy as it usually was when I woke up, but it still seemed impossibly tangled. The dark bags under my eyes were getting darker every day, and my lips were chapped. I grumbled and picked up my brush. My blonde hair was _impossible _to tame.

**********

After the difficult task of brushing my hair, I ate breakfast, which was uneventful, like always. Percy and Annabeth were bickering. Laughter filled the air, and everyone seemed to be talking, giving me a headache. I sat down at the far end of the Apollo cabin's table, and ate my breakfast in pure silence, the way I liked it.

Once I was finished my breakfast, I left immediately to practice archery. When I arrived to the targets, I picked up a bow and arrow.

Archery was my favourite thing to do. I wasn't good at sword fighting or capture the flag, like Percy was. I wasn't even all that great at medicine. Archery was the one thing that got my mind off of things, the one thing that I was actually _good _at. When I was eight, I was a nightmare with a bow, but after a few weeks at Camp Half-Blood, I started to get the hang of it. I remembered how to put on the arm-guard correctly: it went on the bow arm, which was my left arm. I made sure that my elbow was parallel to the floor, and at high anchor, the way I preferred it. I made sure that my hand was placed firmly on the grip, and I shot. The arrow propelled its way to the target.

"Dang." It was right beside the bullseye.

I remembered the first time I had picked up a bow. I hadn't even aimed the arrow correctly. I was clumsy, and had a weak shot. I couldn't get the arrow to propel within 10 feet of the target.

The best practice I had ever gotten was during the Battle of the Labyrinth, and then when we were guarding Olympus. I couldn't do too much during the latter, however, because I almost immediately got injured, with a dislocated shoulder and broken leg.


End file.
